In a Vancouver Canucks prospect pool that is light on defenceman, Matt Brassard is giving fans reason to hope.

The 19 year old has turned in a solid season with the Ontario Hockey League乌鸦传媒檚 Oshawa Generals and has probably earned himself a pro contract. Through 63 regular season games (as of this writing), the six-foot-three and 198 pound right-handed blueliner has collected 15 goals and 46 points.

His goal total is fifth highest among OHL defenceman, and he ranks eighth in points.

Most importantly for a prospect, Brassard乌鸦传媒檚 production is up substantially from his draft year when he produced 12 goals and 32 points in 62 games split between Oshawa and the Barrie Colts.

Twenty four games into the 2017-18 season things didn乌鸦传媒檛 look so rosy for the native of Barrie, Ontario. Brassard had no goals and eight points, and it looked like his development had flat-lined. The idea that the seventh round pick (188th overall in 2017) would be offered any kind of deal with the Canucks seemed far-fetched.

But his production from Nov. 25 on has been eye-popping.

Brassard scored his first goal that night in a 7-3 win over Barrie and in 39 games he乌鸦传媒檚 posted 38 points.

Getting him signed and into the Utica Comets lineup now seems like a no-brainer.

So what changed?

乌鸦传媒淲hen you乌鸦传媒檙e in a slump you乌鸦传媒檝e got to work your way out of it, and that乌鸦传媒檚 what I did, staying after practice to work on shooting pucks and doing drills,乌鸦传媒� Brassard said. 乌鸦传媒淥ne of the biggest things I was told by my head coach (Bob Jones), right around that 25 game mark, was to keep focusing on defence and all the other stuff will come.乌鸦传媒�

Oshawa assistant coach Greg Nemisz said it was a weird start to the season for Brassard.

乌鸦传媒淲e couldn乌鸦传媒檛 put a finger on it because he was still playing well, he was still creating plays and getting his volume in terms of shots on net, but it just wasn乌鸦传媒檛 happening for him,乌鸦传媒� Nemisz said. 乌鸦传媒淎t times he was pressing too much for it, and once he got that first goal he settled in.乌鸦传媒�

Many prospect prognosticators will tell you that if a player doesn乌鸦传媒檛 produce X amount of points per game in junior, he乌鸦传媒檚 unlikely to become a contributor at higher levels. Like all players, Brassard claims to not worry about goals and assists, but he乌鸦传媒檚 glad that he乌鸦传媒檚 been able to click at a point-per-game rate for the last two thirds of the season.

乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 know if I feel any pressure to meet those expectations,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淏ut if it乌鸦传媒檚 something that the scouts are looking at to determine whether you乌鸦传媒檒l produce at the next level, then I乌鸦传媒檓 really happy with the way my year has gone.乌鸦传媒�

The stat Brassard cares most about is one that the hockey analytics crowd would like to stuff into a rocket bound for the moon. Brassard said the Generals don乌鸦传媒檛 keep advanced stats like Corsi and Fenwick. They don乌鸦传媒檛 track controlled zone exits, so plus-minus is the number he checks out after a game to gauge his effectiveness.

乌鸦传媒淚 know plus-minus, a lot of people say it doesn乌鸦传媒檛 show the type of player you are because you can be on a team that plays against the best teams or the worst teams and it can vary a lot,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 really have a go-to stat, but if I had to pick one it would be plus-minus. Also things liked blocked shots and hits are huge.乌鸦传媒�

Brassard is a healthy plus-16 this season.

In the lead-up to the 2017 National Hockey League entry draft, Brassard said he was questioned most often about his skating.

乌鸦传媒淚n my pre-draft meetings with teams I told them that I was aware of it and I would be working on it,乌鸦传媒� the teenager noted. 乌鸦传媒淚 spent last summer training for this season with a focus on skating and I think I乌鸦传媒檝e improved it.

乌鸦传媒淥bviously it乌鸦传媒檚 not perfect, but it乌鸦传媒檚 a lot better than it was in the past.乌鸦传媒�

Nemisz said Brassard乌鸦传媒檚 skating can still use a little work, but it乌鸦传媒檚 not a liability.

乌鸦传媒淏y no means is he a poor skater,乌鸦传媒� Nemisz said. 乌鸦传媒淏ut like anyone trying to go to the professional level where it乌鸦传媒檚 a really fast game, he乌鸦传媒檚 got to work on his agility.乌鸦传媒�

On the flipside, talent evaluators were impressed with Brassard乌鸦传媒檚 two-way game and his ability to create offence.

乌鸦传媒淚 really take pride in the amount of shots on goal I have. I think I乌鸦传媒檓 third in the league among defencemen (he乌鸦传媒檚 fourth),乌鸦传媒� Brassard said. 乌鸦传媒淥ne thing I can contribute back there is getting the puck on net from the point. They乌鸦传媒檙e not always going to be high-quality shots from a defenceman, but getting the puck down there for the forwards to do their work, that乌鸦传媒檚 something that teams noticed about me.

乌鸦传媒淎nd I think my commitment to defence and my ability to play against the other team乌鸦传媒檚 top players is something else that stood out.乌鸦传媒�

Nemisz concured.

乌鸦传媒淗e has been an excellent puck mover, making plays from the back end,乌鸦传媒� Nemisz noted. 乌鸦传媒淗e has a really, really good shot from the blueline too. There乌鸦传媒檚 a dangerous wrister that always seems to get through. He乌鸦传媒檚 got a real good hockey IQ. He乌鸦传媒檚 got a really good pulse for the game and he乌鸦传媒檚 a guy we lean on to provide offence.

乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 done a good job balancing that because when we really need him to push for offence, he can create, but he can also lock it down and play a real structured game.乌鸦传媒�

Skating is a must-have skill for a modern defenceman as the game gets faster and faster.

If Brassard乌鸦传媒檚 not going to be the quickest guy on the ice, he feels he can compensate in other ways.

乌鸦传媒淧ositioning, gap control, always being up with the play, always being hard on forwards and hard in the D zone with physical play, I think those are the biggest things a defenceman nowadays needs to succeed,乌鸦传媒� Brassard explained. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e been told to continue to work on those things and I think I乌鸦传媒檝e been doing that pretty well this year.乌鸦传媒�

Brassard has collected 60 penalty minutes in 64 games, two minutes at a time with no fighting majors. In 2014-15, playing for the midget AAA Barrie Colts, he rolled up 172 minutes in 50 games, but Brassard said he doesn乌鸦传媒檛 often drop the mitts.

乌鸦传媒淚 definitely wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 classify myself as a fighter, but I would classify myself as a hard guy to play against,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚 play against top lines night in and night out and I try to get under their skin. Sometimes the ref will take both guys, or just me if I乌鸦传媒檝e crossed the line a little bit.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 always involved physically and he乌鸦传媒檚 right on that edge,乌鸦传媒� Nemisz added. 乌鸦传媒淵ou notice him every single game. He乌鸦传媒檚 never sleep-walking out there. He乌鸦传媒檚 an impact player for us every night.乌鸦传媒�

When I talked to him, Brassard said he had recently been playing on the Oshawa D with William Ennis, a draft-eligible 2000-born defenceman.

乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 a left-handed guy who乌鸦传媒檚 kind of more of a defensive shutdown guy,乌鸦传媒� Brassard said. 乌鸦传媒淚 think we really pair well together where I can join the rush and know that he乌鸦传媒檒l be back. I乌鸦传媒檓 really hoping he乌鸦传媒檒l hear his name called on draft day because I really think he乌鸦传媒檚 one of the most underrated guys in this draft.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 flying under the radar, but he乌鸦传媒檚 a really good guy to play with.乌鸦传媒�

I mentioned off the top that Brassard now looks like a good candidate to play in Utica next year.

The transition to pro is a tough one for juniors, a leap that separates prospects from suspects.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 all learning at this point. I乌鸦传媒檓 taking everything my coaches and the Canucks tell me and trying to work on it, trying to make them happy so maybe I乌鸦传媒檒l be lucky enough to earn a contract in the next year or two,乌鸦传媒� Brassard said. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檇 be happy coming back to Oshawa because I think we乌鸦传媒檙e heading in the right direction and I think we乌鸦传媒檒l be really good next year, but if I am lucky enough to earn a contract, I乌鸦传媒檇 love to start my pro career in Utica and hopefully take off from there.乌鸦传媒�

Nemisz, who played 15 big-league games with the Calgary Flames and logged 241 AHL games with the Abbotsford Heat and Charlotte Checkers, said Brassard乌鸦传媒檚 offensive game provides a good foundation, and if he can build up his defensive game he can become a solid pro.

乌鸦传媒淟ike any young player it乌鸦传媒檚 just defending,乌鸦传媒� Nemisz said. 乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 done a really good job of it and he乌鸦传媒檚 playing against the other teams乌鸦传媒� best lines at our level, but the next level is a whole different animal.

乌鸦传媒淔or him to be successful at the next level he乌鸦传媒檚 got to be more of a two-way guy, and his defending乌鸦传媒檚 got to come along a little bit.乌鸦传媒�

Email: eric.welsh@theprogress.com

Twitter: @ProgressSports